Molten Lava Cake

This restaurant-quality molten lava cake features a spongey, moist cake with a hot, ooey-gooey chocolate center. It is so easy to make and perfect for the chocolate lovers in your life.

Molten lava cake. It’s that dessert that comes out at restaurants and makes everyone ooo and ahhh. It looks good, tastes good, and something about the way the center melts into edible heaven leads people to think that it’s miracle dessert. Don’t get me wrong…it is a miracle. An absolute explosion of chocolaty goodness. But it takes no miracles to make. The recipe is actually quite simple.

All you need to do is whip up a simple batter, divvy it between a few ramekins, and bake. The result is a moist, spongey outer layer of chocolate cake that surrounds a hot, ooey-gooey chocolate center. How can you say no to that? It truly is a chocolate lover’s dream.

What is Lava Cake?

Somewhere between a chocolate cake, a souffle, and the best hot fudge sauce you’ve ever had lava cake is a dessert worth writing home about. To make it simple, molten lava cake is a chocolate fudge cake that hasn’t quite been cooked all the way through. This results in the cake having a runny center that has been pleasing taste buds for decades.

Why You’ll Love this Chocolate Dessert

It’s hard not to love a piping hot, chocolate-loaded cake that also happens to be filled with molten chocolate just waiting to pour out. Here are a few of my favorite things about this lava cake.

• Quick and easy. This chocolate lover’s dream only takes 20 minutes to make. What are you waiting for?
• The awe factor. There is something so magical about the moment you dig your fork into molten lava cake and the ooey-gooey center spills out. This dessert is sure to excite you and your guests.
• So. Much. Chocolate. Every millimeter of this molten cake is exploding with chocolate flavor. Chocolate lovers…dive in.
• Restaurant quality. I don’t know about you, but sometimes I have a hard time wanting to splurge on a pricey dessert at a restaurant when I know I could probably make it at home. This lava cake is just as good as (if not better than) the Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse version that inspired me to have a run at making it myself.

Recipe Ingredients

You mean I only need 7 ingredients to make a molten chocolate cake that will send my taste buds to heaven in one bite? Yep! That’s right. Only 7. Here’s a list of what you’ll need to make molten chocolate cake. Make sure to scroll to the recipe below for exact measurements.

• Unsalted butter. Soften the butter a bit before beginning. It will incorporate with the other ingredients more smoothly.
• Sugar. Granulated sugar will work the best here.
• Eggs. These should be at room temperature.
• Flour. Feel free to use your favorite 1:1 gluten-free flour instead.
• Salt
• Semi-sweet chocolate chips. Melted. You can also use dark chocolate chips for a more bitter cake or milk chocolate chips for something a little sweeter.
• Confectioner’s sugar. To dust the finished dessert.

How to Make Chocolate Lava Cake

This awe-inspiring dessert that we all scramble over at the dinner table is shockingly easy to put together. Here’s a brief overview of how to do it. Scroll to the recipe below for more detailed instructions.

• Prep. Preheat oven to 400 °F and grease the inside of 5 ramekins.

• Beat the butter and sugar until creamy before adding the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.
• Add in the flour and salt and mix until smooth.
• Fold in the melted chocolate.

• Bake. Fill each ramekin 3/4 of the way with batter, place them on a baking sheet, and bake for 12-15 minutes.
• Cool for 10 minutes.

• Finish. Remove the cakes from the ramekins and dust with powdered sugar.

Tips for Success

Want to make the perfect, restaurant-quality molten lava cake? I have every faith in you. Just make sure to note these simple tips and tricks before getting started.

• Grease the ramekins thoroughly. No one wants a lava cake that spills its center before it even gets to the plate. Avoid a mess by liberally greasing the ramekins. The cakes should come out easily if you do so.
• Measure properly. When it comes to the flour, do not pack it into the measuring cup. This will end you with more flour than you need and will result in a dry, dense cake. Instead, spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level.
• Use room-temperature eggs. They will mix into the batter more easily, helping to prevent you from over-mixing.
• Don’t over-mix. Over-mixing the batter will cause the glutens in the flour to overdevelop. This will end you with a tough, dense cake. So make sure to mix just enough to incorporate all of the ingredients.
• Get the temperature right. The high temperature prescribed to bake this dessert helps the outside cook faster than the inside. This is what will get you that goopy center. So make sure your oven has preheated fully before popping the lava cakes in to bake. Don’t trust your oven? Consider using an oven thermometer.

Serving Suggestions

Molten chocolate cake is rich and warm. It pairs beautifully with cool temperatures and delicate flavors. Here are some ideas for you.

• With a glass of milk. There is nothing like washing down bites of a rich, chocolatey dessert with a swig or two of cold milk.
• With ice cream. Vanilla would be my top choice here but coffee-flavored ice cream would bring out the chocolate flavors beautifully as well.
• With heavy whipping cream. I love pouring a bit of heavy whipping cream over molten chocolate cake. It breaks up the richness of the dessert and provides a nice cool juxtaposition to the hot, molten center.

Can I Make Lava Cake Ahead?

You can! Just make the batter, cover it in saran wrap, and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. When you are ready to bake, grease and fill the ramekins and pop them in the preheated oven.

Alternatively, you can make the batter, grease and fill the ramekins, cover them tightly with saran wrap, and store them in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. When you are ready to bake, just preheat the oven and pop the lava cakes in.

How to Store and Reheat Extras

If you find yourself with leftovers, allow them to cool completely before storing them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. To reheat, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, place the lava cake/s on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil, and bake for 8 minutes. You can also use the microwave. Just cover the cake with a damp paper towel and microwave for about 30 seconds.

Can I Freeze Lava Cake?

You can. Arrange the cooled, baked lava cakes on a baking sheet and place them in the freezer for a couple of hours to firm up. Wrap the individual cakes in saran wrap and seal them in an airtight container. When it comes time to reheat, remove the saran wrap and bake in an oven set to 400 degrees F for 15 minutes or until heated through. Microwave person? Cover the lava cake in a wet paper towel and microwave for 45 minutes.

Photography by Eat Love Eats